1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for page binding and closing open wire element into bound books. More specifically this invention relates to a bindery press work station and binder press for hole punching, introducing continuous wire element into pages and closing the open wire elements.
2. Technical Field
Open-wire binding presents a number of advantages over spiral binding as a means of binding pages in a book. With open-wire binding the pages turn more freely and are not hindered by the wire binding. Additionally open-wire binding allows greater flexibility in the amount of pages to be fastened, as the wire element can be adjusted to accommodate varying amounts of pages. The amount of pages that can be accepted by the dye-punch and punched at one time is referred to as a lift of pages and more commonly simply as a "lift".
In open wire binding, the pages to be bound are first punched in a stand-alone die punch which perforates the pages to form either square or rectangular holes, usually at the frequency of either two or three holes to the inch. The pages are then inserted over the wire tracks of the open wire element. The open wire element, which is open in "C" shaped fashion, is then inserted into a separate mechanical press, wherein an elongated platen is used to apply uniform pressure to all of the tracks of the wire elements to close them to a circular shape of a predetermined diametric size, thus binding the pages to form the book.
The machines that exist presently possess a number of shortcomings. Firstly, once a lift of pages is punched it must be removed by the operator to another work station where the wire element is installed; the lift of pages is difficult to handle without causing the holes in the sheet to fall out of alignment. Secondly, once a lift of pages has been moved and the holes are out of alignment, the wire element is more difficult to install, particularly if the finished "book" is composed of a plurality of lifts. Thirdly, the wire-element-installing press or wire closer possesses a fixed-spring mechanism for resetting the press to the open position after pressing closed an open wire element to bind a book. As a result of the fixed spring, it is necessary to apply greater compression force to the press when smaller diameter wire-element binding is being performed and consequently it is more difficult to create smaller diameter wire element bindings. In addition to these limitations, the existing equipment is also expensive to produce.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved and more economical bindery press for inserting wire element binding wherein the lift of punched pages remains on a common surface between the hole punching site and the wire-element insertion site, thereby creating a continuous and common work station for the performance of both the hole-punching and wire element insertion and closing.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a page-access opening in the surface of the work station that allows improved handling of the lift of pages after the holes have been punched to prevent the holes from becoming misaligned.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a fixed-compression screw with a traveler assembly in the wire-element press, to provide uniform resistance to the compression required irrespective of the diameter of wire element binding being performed.